By Todd Hutchinson
Herald Democrat
Brandon Slay talks about wrestling in terms of a life’s journey that’s worth the effort.
Slay’s wrestling journey began on the mats of the Amarillo YMCA. It ended after he captured the Olympic gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. In between, he traveled from Amarillo to the University of Pennsylvania. He represented the United States, wrestling in 40 countries.
Slay’s journey continues in Sherman Saturday, where will be giving a free clinic beginning at 9 a.m. in the Sherman High School turf barn. The clinic is sponsored by Sherman Parks and Recreation and the Texoma Twisters wrestling club.
“We are excited about having an Olympic gold medalist in Sherman to help our wrestling program continue to grow,” Sherman Parks and Recreation Coordinator Theresa Hutchinson said.
Tom Long, who moved to Sherman from Pennsylvania, started Texoma Twisters a year ago with the help of Hutchinson and Sherman Parks and Recreation. They wrestle twice a week at the Sherman Youth Center. Long, who met Slay at a wrestling clinic in Pennsylvania, helped bring him to Sherman for the clinic.
Slay also has a lot of relatives in the area, some of whom will be attending the clinic. “My cousins, Zach Logston, Josh Logston and Keylon Logston, should be there,” he said. Slay’s grandmother, Joy Logston, also lives in Sherman. Slay said he’s got family living all over the Sherman area.
Slay has been instrumental in spreading the gospel of wrestling across Texas. What was once confined to west Texas is now a staple of Texas’ metropolitan area middle and high schools. The sport is now migrating into schools in areas such as Sherman.
“It’s an honor to travel across our state and plant the seeds for wrestling’s growth,” said Slay, who now lives in Argyle. “The battle cry now is, ‘Texans can do it.'”
Slay said that Bishop Lynch, a private school in Dallas, is now one of the nation’s best high school wrestling programs.
“In Sherman, we’ll start with the basics,” he said. “We want to get kids excited about the sport.”
Slay said the clinic will be a complete educational experience.
“It’s part of the reason I’m coming,” Slay said. “I want to let them know about going for the gold. It comes from faith, integrity and how you relate to other people.”
Slay said going for the gold is not just about wrestling or sports in general, it’s about all aspects of your life. After the Olympics, Slay helped form Greater Gold, a company that promotes his message that kids should strive to achieve their full athletic and academic potential.
“If I wouldn’t have had wrestling, there’s no way I’d be where I’m at now,” Slay said. “Who knows, maybe one of these kids will win an Olympic gold medal. I started out just like them.”
Slay will bring his gold medal, so “kids can see that it is possible. It gives them the visual they can connect to a dream.”
One of the possible ends of Slay’s journey to Sherman could be the addition of wrestling to the athletics programs offered at Piner Middle School and Sherman High School.
“We’ve got to get the kids interested first,” Sherman athletics director Drew Young said. “We’ve got to get some kids at the seventh and eighth grade level, and maybe, enter some open tournaments.”
Young added that it will take parents getting involved to help make wrestling a varsity sport.
Currently, there are 37 kids wrestling in Sherman from ages 4 through 16.
“It’s going to take people like Tom Long to get wrestling started in Sherman,” Slay said. “Once high school football coaches see what wrestling can do, they will want it (in the schools).”
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